JP2023543626A - Method and system for producing relief on a substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1), the method comprising: applying a coating and a relief-producing material to the surface of the substrate (1) that are in contact with each other; (3) sublimation.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and system for producing 3D surface reliefs or structures on a substrate, particularly by digital inkjet printing.

The invention is particularly applicable in the field of manufacturing products for architecture and furniture, such as furniture, panels for doors and floors, profiles for door and window frames.

By creating relief on the surface of the substrate, it is possible to reproduce the texture and surface of natural materials such as wood and stone, corresponding to the image printed on the surface of the substrate.

Various techniques are currently known for producing reliefs on substrate surfaces by digital inkjet printing. These techniques have the advantage that reliefs can be obtained with much greater flexibility and precision compared to other known techniques for producing reliefs on substrate surfaces, such as engraving or molding.

In known techniques for producing relief on a substrate surface by digital inkjet printing, droplets of relief-producing material are printed onto the coating. The printed droplets create a convex surface or protrusion in the coating by adding relief-producing material to the coating. Alternatively, printed materials may be produced by impact, immiscibility or displacement of droplets of relief-producing material injected into a liquid coating, or when the relief-producing material mixes or dissolves with the coating and removes the mixed material or solution. The droplets create concave surfaces or depressions in the coating.

The production of convex surfaces by digital inkjet printing has the disadvantage that the abrasion resistance of the resulting reliefs is limited. Furthermore, the generation of concave surfaces by digital inkjet printing is difficult to obtain sufficient definition of the relief due to the existence of a complex physical and chemical mechanism of interaction between the droplets of relief-producing material and the coating. It has the disadvantage that process control is difficult. These mechanisms involve various variables such as the surface tension, density and viscosity of the relief-producing material or coating, and the velocity and volume of the relief-producing material droplets.

In view of the currently known methods, the present invention provides an alternative method for producing reliefs on substrate surfaces, which makes it possible to obtain reliefs with sufficient abrasion resistance and fineness in a flexible manner. and system.

In order to achieve this objective and to solve the technical problems discussed hitherto, and to provide additional advantages that can be further derived later, the present invention provides for the application of coating and relief-generating materials to the substrate surface. A method is provided for producing relief on a substrate surface, including applying, contacting the coating and relief-producing material with each other, and sublimating the relief-producing material.

In general, any product capable of sublimation can be used as a relief generating material. In particular, it is possible to use so-called sublimation inks or sublimable inks, which are commercially available for other known applications such as screen printing. In particular, it is contemplated that the relief-generating material is transparent, which allows a clean finished, eye-catching relief to be obtained without the need to remove the staining of the relief-generating material.

The solid-state relief-generating material is sublimated, leaving voids in the coating that correspond to the areas occupied by the relief-generating material in contact with the coating, and the voids define the relief.

According to the invention, it is provided that the coating and/or the relief-producing material is supplied to the process in liquid state and is solidified during the process. The hardening of the relief-producing material and/or coating according to the invention can be carried out, for example, by curing or drying.

According to the invention, the relief-producing material can be applied by digital inkjet printing, ejecting ink in the form of droplets of relief-producing material. This allows relief to be produced with the great flexibility, speed, and definition characteristic of digital inkjet printing technology.

Given that the relief-generating material is in a solid state that undergoes sublimation, relief may be affected by variables in the sublimation process itself and, to a lesser extent, especially if the relief-generating material is applied by digital inkjet printing. The above interaction between the generating material and the coating is regulated by various variables. In this way, it is possible to obtain high-definition reliefs in a controlled manner.

Preferably, according to the invention, the coating and the relief-producing material are in contact with each other when the coating is liquid or partially solidified, especially if the relief-producing material is applied by digital inkjet printing. . This facilitates the introduction of the relief-producing material into the coating, or the mixing or dilution of the relief-producing material in the coating, for example by impact, immiscibility or displacement. In this respect, according to the invention, the ability to generate relief by sublimation is compatible with and can be used in combination with known relief generation techniques.

The present invention provides that the relief-producing material to be sublimated is at least partially covered by or embedded in the coating, and that the relief-producing material to be sublimated is at least partially mixed with the coating. Assume both. As the relief-producing material sublimes and thus changes from a solid to a gas, it volatizes to the outside of the coating.

As the gases of the relief-forming material pass through the coating during sublimation, a porous or void volume is created in the coating. This porous volume of the coating affected by sublimation is more fragile than the volume of the coating not penetrated by the gases of the sublimated relief-forming material and is therefore easily removable. Relief can be obtained by removing the coating material affected by sublimation. It is also conceivable to remove, after sublimation, residues of the relief-forming material, especially together with the coating material affected by the sublimation. Removal of material can be effected by mechanical means, such as brushing or suction, and/or chemical means, such as washing or rinsing.

Preferably, according to the invention, the coating finishes setting later than the relief-producing material. This facilitates outgassing of the sublimated relief-forming material through the coating. In order to achieve that delay in hardening of the coating relative to the relief-producing material, the material of the relief-producing material and/or the coating can be selected with a suitable composition, which influences, for example, its hardening or drying.

According to the invention, the relief can be applied in conjunction with or corresponding to an image on the substrate that is applied to the substrate before or after producing the relief. The embossing and the generation of the corresponding image can be performed synchronously by digital inkjet printing of the embossing and the image.

Preferably, the invention provides that the relief-producing material is applied to the coating (i.e., after the coating is applied) and that the coating is applied to the relief-producing material (i.e., after the relief-producing material is applied). Assume both. However, any other manner in which the relief-generating material and the coating abut each other on the substrate surface is also envisaged, for example applied simultaneously, in particular mixed to form one and the same application product. According to the invention, the coating and/or the relief-producing material can be applied by spreading it out at least in areas, ie by covering the substrate at least partially or in partial areas.

Similarly, the present invention contemplates that the relief-producing material and coating can be applied repeatedly to obtain multiple layers of coating and relief-producing material, thereby forming a multilayer coating. In this case, sublimation of the relief-generating material can be carried out after applying each layer and before applying the next layer and/or after applying all layers. Each layer can be configured with different parameters, such as layer thickness, amount of relief-forming material, droplet amount of sublimation ink, etc.

In this regard, the invention also envisages that other layers can be additionally applied that extend at least partially over the substrate, so that at least one coating and a layer of relief-generating material, It is also possible to obtain multilayer coatings with at least further decorative or functional layers, for example with different degrees of gloss or with different depth structures. These further layers can be applied, for example, between and/or on the surface of the coating and the relief-producing material layers. Similarly, the coating and the relief-producing material layer itself can additionally be provided with at least partially decorative or functional features, such as different degrees of gloss or different depth structures.

Thus, by selectively applying coatings and/or relief-producing materials to partial areas, by repeatedly applying them, or by including other layers, different decorative or Multilayer coatings can be obtained in which technical effects can be selectively controlled or provided.

In the context of the present invention, a relief-producing material is therefore understood as a product which according to the invention is applied in contact with a coating and is adapted to produce a relief in the coating when at least partially sublimated. be able to. In this respect, the applied relief-producing material is made of an at least partially sublimable product, i.e. a sublimable material that is at least partially sublimed to produce relief in the coating by the method of the invention. Also includes sublimable products.

According to the invention, it is envisaged that the coating and/or the relief-producing material is applied in liquid or solid state. The solid-state relief-producing material can be applied, for example, by sprinkling solid relief-producing material powder. The solid-state relief-generating material can be applied, for example, in the form of a solid sheet spread over the surface of the substrate. In this respect, the invention envisages all possible combinations regarding the use of at least partially liquid or solid state relief-producing materials and/or coatings.

Preferably, the relief-producing material is applied in liquid form by digital inkjet printing, for example using sublimation inks, in particular sublimation inks used in screen printing suitable for the method of the invention, as mentioned above. Similarly, preferably the coating is applied in liquid form by a roller. However, it is also contemplated that both the coating and the sublimation ink or liquid contained in the liquid relief-producing material can be applied by any other method, such as spraying, in addition to inkjet or roller methods.

It is contemplated that sublimation is carried out by heating the relief-producing material, preferably at atmospheric pressure. Preferably, when the relief-producing material is applied by an inkjet sublimation ink, the sublimation temperature of the selected sublimable product is such that the inkjet head used is heated (typically about 40° C.) and must be higher than the minimum threshold. Similarly, preferably the sublimable product is such that its sublimation temperature is below a maximum threshold, e.g. must be selected.

The sublimation of the relief-generating material can be carried out by radiation, convection or thermal conduction, in particular with an electromagnetic radiation source (e.g. by IR), a thermal convection element (e.g. hot air) and/or a thermally conductive element (e.g. heated element), respectively. , can be done by heating in any way. In particular, IR lamps can be used as sources of electromagnetic radiation for heating.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the sublimation ink or the liquid containing the relief-producing material is a dispersion, and that the dispersed portion contains the relief-producing material. In particular, the dispersed portion can be in liquid or solid form.

Also preferably, the relief-generating material has a concentration in the sublimation ink or liquid for applying the relief-generating material when applied, of 10% by weight or less, preferably 1% by weight or less, especially 0.1% by weight or less. It is. This allows a relatively low concentration of relief-forming material to be used to provide sufficient cavities in the coating to define the relief.

Similarly, preferably the relief-producing material comprises sublimable solid particles, ie solid particles made of a sublimable material. Typically, sublimable solid particles can be of any size. Advantageously, a particle size (D50) of about 2000 Å or less allows its use in inkjet printheads without the need for recirculation. The smaller the size of the sublimable particles, the greater the amount of material that can be sublimed, with particle sizes (D50) of about 100 Å or less being particularly preferred. In particular, for particle sizes (D50) of about 10 Å or less, it is possible to obtain a solution of the relief-forming material in a sublimation ink or liquid for applying the relief-forming material. The term D50 for quantifying the average size of particles, also called mean diameter, is defined in a manner known to those skilled in the art, i.e. the concentration of particles with a diameter larger or smaller than that value is 50% of the total particle distribution in the sample. Defined as the particle size value in %.

As mentioned above, it is envisaged that advantageously the relief-generating material and/or the sublimation ink or coating liquid will be compatible with the coating. This allows them to be easily incorporated into the coating when the relief-producing materials or sublimation inks are applied, which promotes further contact with each other, creating cavities that define the relief in sublimation. To favor miscibility, it is contemplated that the sublimation ink and the coating will have substantially the same polarity, and in particular it is contemplated that the coating and the dispersed portion of the sublimation ink will have substantially the same composition.

Arrangements for mixing coatings with sublimation inks, in particular ink jets, are similar to other known relief production systems in which the ejected ink liquid causes a displacement of the coating liquid that defines the relief cavity (e.g. by impact of a droplet on the coating surface). Compared to the method, it is possible to obtain a higher definition of the relief. This resulting higher definition is due to the fact that the displacement action involves local deformation around cavities or indentations in the coating, where liquid displaced or dislodged from that cavity accumulates; This can be due to the fact that there is no significant displacement, the relief-producing material is incorporated into the coating, and the relief is obtained by removing the mixture in a subsequent step or process.

Furthermore, the present invention provides that the relief-generating material to be sublimated is in a solid state, which creates a cavity defining the relief upon sublimation, so that, unlike a liquid, the relief-generating material is confined by its own solid state. As a result of the fact that it provides improved definition. This also makes the invention particularly suitable for its use in a method complementary to other known methods for obtaining reliefs on substrate surfaces.

According to a preferred embodiment, the relief-producing material and/or the sublimation ink or the application liquid of the relief-producing material comprises an electromagnetic radiation absorber and absorbs the energy of the electromagnetic radiation applied at a defined wavelength, in particular the coating and/or the relief-producing material. It is configured to absorb enough electromagnetic radiation to cure the product and convert that energy into heat. As electromagnetic UV radiation absorbers, it is possible to use, for example, benzophenones, benzotriazoles, triazines, oxanilides and cyanoacrylates. In particular, UV lamps of the LED type or arc discharge can be used as sources of electromagnetic radiation.

According to another preferred embodiment, the relief-generating material and/or the sublimation ink or the application liquid of the relief-generating material comprises an exothermic chemical reaction promoter configured to react with the coating by releasing heat. be able to. These two final embodiments of the invention increase the efficiency of heating to produce sublimation.

The present invention also envisages that the sublimation ink or application liquid of the relief-forming material comprises an odorant configured to permeate the coating (2) with an odor when activated, for example by heating. The relief-forming material itself can contain or specifically constitute the odorant (for example, camphor can be used as a sublimable, odoriferous product). Sublimation allows odors to be drawn to the surface, while at the same time ensuring that the odors are retained in the coating and allow it to penetrate.

Similarly, according to the invention, sublimation inks can be transparent or include pigments and other functional particles. By incorporating pigments or functional particles into a sublimation ink or coating fluid, the resulting relief characteristics are compared to the characteristics provided by the pigment or functional particles at each application site, e.g. in each droplet of an inkjet ink application. can be tied together. In this way, coordination of the resulting relief with the decorative or functional effect provided by the pigment or particles is achieved in the same step or process as the application of the sublimation ink or coating fluid.

As mentioned above, according to the invention, the coating and/or the relief-generating material can be solidified to obtain the relief, in particular at least partially solidified before subliming the relief-generating material. be able to. Preferably, hardening of the coating and/or relief-producing material is carried out by curing or polymerization, preferably by electromagnetic radiation, more preferably by UV. To do this, the coating or relief-producing material is made of a curable or polymerizable material. In particular, UV lamps of the LED type or arc discharge can be used as sources of electromagnetic radiation.

Partial solidification of the coating prior to sublimation, i.e. a limited degree of solidification or hardening, can fix the relief-defining contour in a particular way and hold the relief-generating material to be sublimated to that contour. This makes it possible to obtain high definition of relief. In particular, the coating finishes setting later than the relief-producing material. This prevents the relief-generating material from becoming trapped and preventing gas from being able to escape to the surface.

Also, as mentioned above, according to one embodiment of the method of the invention, the relief is obtained by removing the coating affected by sublimation of the relief-generating material and/or the residues of the relief-generating material. This removed material defines the cavities that are left in the coating after sublimation. In this respect, in the context of the present invention, residues of relief-generating material are defined as relief-generating material that has been altered or not altered after applying the sublimation step of the method of the invention, in particular relief-generating material that has not sublimated after applying the sublimation step. can be understood as.

A second aspect of the invention provides a system for producing relief on a substrate surface. According to the invention, the system comprises means for applying a coating to a substrate, means for applying a relief-producing material, means for sublimating the relief-producing material, means for applying a coating, applying the relief-producing material. and means for controlling the sublimating means. The system is configured to implement the method described above.

The system may include means for removing material to produce the relief, which may be mechanical, such as brushing or suction, and/or chemical, such as washing or rinsing. . It is also contemplated that the system includes means for aspirating the gases of the relief-forming material generated during sublimation.

Similarly, the system may include a transport means, e.g. Including belt.

It is contemplated that the means of sublimating the relief-producing material according to the invention is preferably by heating. To do this, thermal radiant heating means can be used, including for example at least one electromagnetic radiant heating lamp, in particular an IR heating lamp. Alternatively or in addition, convection heating means can be used, for example with heated air, in particular with a hot air blower. Also alternatively or in addition, conductive heating means can be used, for example conductive heating elements, in particular conductive heating means by heated rollers or plates.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system comprises a receiving element for the sublimation material, in particular in the form of a receiving strip, facing the coating, so that when the relief-generating material is sublimed, the relief-generating material is Residues of sublimated material and/or relief-producing material formed by the sublimation-affected coating are applied to the receiving strip surface. This receiving element is preferably in the form of a strip, allowing the sublimated material transferred from the coating and deposited on the receiving element to be easily discharged afterwards.

According to the invention, the system may also include means for cleaning the surface of the thermally conductive heating element or the surface of the receiving element to which the sublimation material is applied, in particular a scraper for scraping the surface or the receiving element. It is possible to include a blade.

Similarly, as mentioned above, the system may include means for removing sublimated material from the coating to create a relief. These means may in particular be in the form of at least one brush, at least one suction machine and/or at least one blower. It is contemplated that the system may also include means for extracting gas from the sublimation of the relief-producing material, particularly in the form of a gas extraction hood. It is contemplated that the system may also include solidifying means for at least partially solidifying the coating and/or the relief-producing material.

The following figures are included to help explain various practical embodiments of the invention, which are described below by way of example and not limitation.
1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate from which a relief is obtained in steps (A) to (C) according to a first embodiment of the method or system of the invention; FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a relief is obtained in steps (D) to (G) according to a first aspect of a first embodiment of the method or system of the invention; FIG. 2 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a relief is obtained in steps (D) to (G) according to the second aspect of the first embodiment of the method or system of the invention; FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate from which a relief is obtained in steps (A) to (C) according to a second embodiment of the method or system of the invention; FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate on which a relief is obtained in steps (D) to (G) according to the first aspect of the second embodiment of the method or system of the invention; FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of a substrate from which a relief is obtained in steps (D) to (G) according to a second aspect of a second embodiment of the method or system of the invention; FIG. 1 shows an overview of a first exemplary embodiment of a method and system for producing relief on a substrate surface according to the invention, where the substrate is in the form of a panel; FIG. 2 shows an overview of a second exemplary embodiment of a method and system for producing relief on a substrate surface according to the present invention, where the substrate is in the form of a continuous sheet; FIG. 1 shows a detailed view of one embodiment of the sublimation step or process of the method and system of the present invention. FIG. Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a further embodiment of the sublimation step or process of the method and system of the invention. Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a further embodiment of the sublimation step or process of the method and system of the invention. Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a further embodiment of the sublimation step or process of the method and system of the invention. Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a further embodiment of the sublimation step or process of the method and system of the invention.

The substrate (1) can be constructed in the form of a panel or a profile. The material of the substrate (1) can be, for example, wood (chipboard, medium density fibreboard "MDF", high density fibreboard "HDF" or plywood), plastic (PVC), cellulosic material (paper or cardboard) or metal. can be selected from.

The coating (2) can be applied in the liquid state by any method for applying liquid products, such as by rolling, sprinkling, spraying or inkjet printing. The material of the coating (2) can be chosen, for example, from varnishes or polymeric resins.

In the embodiment of the invention shown and described in detail below, the relief-generating material (3) is digitally inkjet printed and applied in the form of droplets of sublimation ink.

According to a first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, starting from a substrate (A), a coating (2) is applied to the surface thereof (B), and the relief-generating material (3) is coated with (C) applied to (2).

According to a second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figures 4 to 6, starting from the substrate (A), the relief-generating material (3) is applied directly to the surface of the substrate (1) (B, C). ).

With reference to FIG. 2, a first aspect of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes impacting a droplet of relief-generating material (3) on a coating (2) to produce a relief; There is immiscibility or displacement.

With reference to FIG. 3, a second aspect of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. There is dilution.

Referring to FIG. 5, a first aspect of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-6 includes impingement of droplets of relief-generating material (3) on the coating (2) to produce relief; There is immiscibility or displacement.

With reference to FIG. 6, a second aspect of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. There is dilution.

After the coating (2) has come into contact (D) with the relief-producing material (3), the coating (2) and the relief-producing material (3) are cured (E) together or separately, and at least the relief-producing material (3) is cured (E). Obtain solidification. For curing, conventional curing means (10) can be used, for example heat lamps or radiation of electromagnetic radiation, such as UV, IR or electron radiation.

Once the relief generating material (3) has solidified, it is sublimated (F). For sublimation (F) conventional sublimation means (20) can be used, such as heating means, in particular hot air, or heating lamps, for example IR heating lamps. Sublimation (F) can also be carried out by reacting the relief-generating material (3) with a sublimation-activated product, for example by applying the sublimation-activated product to the relief-generating material (3). Conceivable. Sublimation (F) can be carried out simultaneously with the solidification of the coating, for example.

Finally, material removal means (30) can be used to remove (G) the coating material in the areas affected by sublimation. These means (30) may be, for example, mechanical means such as brushing or suctioning, or chemical means such as cleaning or rinsing the area.

FIG. 7 shows a processing line according to a first preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention for obtaining reliefs (7) on the surface of a substrate (1) in the form of a panel. The substrate (1) is transported (60) by a conveyor belt (63) through different steps or processes.

In the first step or process of the processing line, a liquid coating (2) consisting of UV-curable acrylic is applied to the base in a manner known per se by means of a roller (70) using an applicator roller (71) and a dosing roller (72). Material (1) Apply to the surface. In a subsequent step or process, the relief-producing material (3) is printed by inkjet digital printing (40) using a sublimation ink comprising the relief-producing material (3) dispersed in a UV-curable acrylic liquid. The coating (2) is applied through the injection head (41).

In this exemplary embodiment, the sublimation ink is applied to the coating (2) while the coating (2) is still liquid, thereby allowing the sublimation ink and thus the relief-producing material (3) to enter the coating (2). becomes easier. In subsequent steps or operations of this first exemplary embodiment, the applied coating (2) and the sublimation ink set are partially cured (10) and partially cured by a UV radiation lamp (11). solidify.

A subsequent step or process then involves sublimation (20) of the relief-generating material (3). To do this, heat is transferred by thermal conduction (22) to the relief-forming material (3) by a heated roller (221) rolling over the surface of the coating (2). This rolling is preferably synchronized with the advancement of the substrate (1) along the processing line, so that the heated roller (221) substantially covers the coating (2) surface in order to sublimate the relief-generating material (3). Rolls on the target without slipping.

During sublimation (20), the sublimated material and/or residues of the relief-generating material (3) formed by the coating affected by the sublimation of the relief-generating material (3) are deposited on the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller (221). given to. This sublimated material is removed from the outer peripheral surface of the heating roller (221) by a scraping blade (51) for scraping it off (50). Gases due to sublimation of the relief-forming material (3) are removed (80) by an extraction hood (81).

Then, in the final step or process of this first exemplary embodiment, the coating is cured by means of a UV radiation lamp (12) to complete the solidification (10). Thereafter, a step (30) for removing excess material, such as a coating affected by sublimation of the relief-producing material and/or residues of the relief-producing material, can be applied, for example by brushing.

FIG. 8 shows a processing line according to a second preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention for obtaining reliefs (7) on the surface of a substrate (1), which, unlike the first exemplary embodiment, 1) is in the form of a continuous sheet. The sheet is continuously fed from the supply coil (5) and passes through different processes or steps of the line to the collection coil (6), where the sheet is deposited on the surface of the substrate (1) for its distribution or further processing. It is recovered together with the generated relief (7). The sheet is moved along its line in a manner known per se by means of guide means, for example guide rollers.

As FIG. 8 shows, the different steps of this second exemplary embodiment are arranged or arranged in a similar manner to the steps of the first exemplary embodiment. The step or process of applying the coating by the roller (70) incorporates a counterroller (71') of the coating application roller, which positions the substrate (1) by counterpressure on that roller. Similarly, in the sublimation (20) step or process, a counter roller (221') of the heated roller is incorporated to position the substrate (1) by counterpressure on the heated roller.

Figure 9 illustrates aspects of the sublimation step or process (20), which is shown for the first exemplary embodiment but is equally applicable to the second exemplary embodiment. In aspects of this embodiment, unlike the examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, during sublimation (20), the sublimated material and/or Alternatively, the residue of the relief-producing material (3) is applied not directly to the surface of the heated roller (221), but to a sublimated material receiving element in the form of a receiving strip (90). A receiving strip (90) is fed from a supply coil (93) and guided between heating rollers and coatings to a collection coil (94), where previously deposited sublimation material is removed for external processing, recycling or removal. be collected for.

FIG. 9 also shows other configuration details of the heating roller (221) system. A heated roller (221) cooperates with a counter roller (221') to position the substrate (1) by applying counter pressure with that roller, by means of a vertical movement actuator (224) The material (3) can be moved vertically in an adjustable manner to approach the coating (2) provided thereon. The heating roller (221) comprises a rotary actuator (223) for rotating the heating roller (221) and the receiving strip (90) on the coating (2) surface in synchronization with the advancement of the substrate (1), preferably substantially Advancement of the receiving strip (90), which produces a non-slip rotation and at the same time sandwiched between the heated roller (221) and the coating (2), occurs while the sublimated material is transferred to the receiving strip (90). A conveyor belt (63) is provided for conveying (60) the substrate (1) in its advancement, the conveyor belt (63) moving guided by guide rollers (61, 62) and moving in a typical implementation. In the example it is driven by a rotary actuator (64) which acts to rotate one of the guide rollers (62).

FIG. 10 shows another aspect of the sublimation step or process (20), which is also shown for the first exemplary embodiment, but can be applied to the second exemplary embodiment as well. In this aspect of the embodiment, unlike the aspect shown in FIG. 9, the receiving strip (90) is fed continuously in a closed path guided by guide rollers (91). The guide roller (91) can be moved vertically by a vertical movement actuator (95) in order to adjust the position of the guide roller (91) facing the coating (2), such that the substrate (1) It is possible to move between the guide roller (91) and the counter roller (91'). The receiving strip (90) is moved by a rotary actuator (92), for example by rotating its guide roller (91) facing the coating (2).

Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, in the embodiment of FIG. It will be resupplied when it is depleted. The cleaning (50) may include, for example, as shown in FIG. This can be done by a drop blade (51).

Figure 10 also shows a sublimation means that can replace or complement the heating roller (221) shown in the above embodiment. In this embodiment, the heating to produce the sublimation (20) can be carried out by thermal convection in the region of the guide roller (91) facing the coating (2) by the strip of the receiving strip (90). In particular, the strip (90) may be composed of a material that facilitates local heat transfer in the coating (2), such as a metal, and/or may be heated.

FIG. 11 shows another aspect of the sublimation step or process (20), which is similarly shown for the first exemplary embodiment, but can be applied to the second exemplary embodiment as well. In this aspect of the embodiment, unlike the aspect shown in FIG. 10, sublimation is performed by radiant heating (21). Heating can be carried out directly on the coating (2) through a receiving strip (90) of sublimation material that is transparent to the passage of radiation, or indirectly by heating the receiving strip (90).

As can be seen in Figure 11, the heating (21) takes place between two guide rollers (91) facing the coating (2) in two successive positions, whereby the receiving strip (90 ) is kept in continuous contact with the coating (2) between its two positions. This makes it possible to provide a smoothing of the surface of the coating (2) at the same time as heating (21). Instead of heating (21) or in addition to heating (21), partial solidification (10) is carried out by means of a UV radiation lamp (211) through a receiving strip (90) that is transparent to that radiation. be able to. In this way, more efficient curing can be achieved since the amount of air present between the strip (90) and the coating (2) in that area is reduced.

FIG. 12 shows another aspect of the sublimation step or process (20), which is shown for the first exemplary embodiment but can be applied to the second exemplary embodiment as well. In this aspect of the embodiment, in contrast to the above-mentioned aspects, the heating of the coating to carry out the sublimation (20) is carried out by a thermally conductive element (22) in the form of a heating plate (222). The heating plate (222) can be moved in the vertical direction by a vertical displacement actuator (225), in order to heat the coating (2) with the relief-producing material (3) and cause its sublimation. The plate (222) faces the plate (222) until it comes into contact with the coating (2), the substrate (1) being between the plate (222) and the counter roller (222'). Cleaning (50) of the sublimed material transferred to the plate (222) is carried out by a scraping blade (51) that can move horizontally to scrape off the sublimated material, which It is deposited on a collection tray (52).

FIG. 13 shows another aspect of the sublimation step or process (20), which is shown for the first exemplary embodiment but can be applied to the second exemplary embodiment as well. In an aspect of this embodiment, unlike the aspect shown in FIG. 12, a sublimation material receiving strip (90) is disposed between plate (222) and coating (2) to receive sublimation material from coating (2). exists. The receiving strip (90) is cleaned (50) of its sublimated material by a scraping blade (51).

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but includes all embodiments, modifications and combinations falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus, for example, according to the invention, the heating to bring about the sublimation (20) can be carried out in a single step or step or in conjunction with other steps or steps of the method of the invention, successively with each other or It can be carried out in alternating steps or steps. In this respect, it is conceivable that a gradual heating of the coating (2) can take place before sublimation begins, for example by means of a plurality of conductive heating elements (22), such as heating rollers (221).

As examples of practical embodiments , caffeine or camphor were used as sublimable products to obtain practical embodiment examples of each of them in accordance with the present invention.

Starting from commercially available sublimable products in the form of powders, these powders had varying particle sizes and even had parts that were caked or agglomerated by moisture. This powder was ground to obtain a sublimable product powder with a particle size (D50) of 2000 Å. Next, the ground sublimable product is dispersed in a dispersant consisting of an acrylic liquid with partially suppressed UV curing to create a colloidal solution with a sublimable product concentration of about 5% by weight of the sublimation ink, A sublimation ink was obtained which can be used by inkjet printing.

The sublimation ink was printed with an inkjet according to the embossed digital template. The digital printing was done on a liquid coating of UV-curable acrylic varnish that was previously applied to the surface of the wooden substrate. Printing was carried out by print heads sold under the trademark Seiko 1536RC (head with recirculation function) and under the same trademark Seiko 508GS (without recirculation function).

Once the sublimation ink has been applied, the sample with the applied coating and relief-forming material is cured by an electric arc discharge lamp until the coating is partially cured to a maximum degree of cure of approximately 40% (to fully cure the coating). for the required irradiation energy). It is then exposed to IR radiation by an IR lamp until a coating temperature of about 160° C. is reached for samples where the sublimable product is caffeine and about 150° C. for samples where the sublimable product is camphor. The sample was heated by heating.

Due to the heating, the sublimable product was sublimated, resulting in weakening of the coating in the coating areas (void areas as a result of sublimation gas emission) defining the resulting relief. The sample was then final cured for its complete solidification.

Finally, brushing is applied over the entire surface of the coating to remove areas of the coating that have been affected by sublimation of sublimable products and/or areas of that coating that have been weakened by the effects of sublimation consisting of residues of applied sublimation inks. Once removed and the material removed from its interior, a cavity corresponding to that area was exposed, resulting in a relief.

1 Substrate 2 Coating 3 Relief generating material 4 Relief cavity 5 Substrate supply coil in continuous sheet form 6 Substrate collection coil in continuous sheet form 7 Obtained relief 10 Solidifying means 11 UV lamp for initial curing 12 UV for final curing Lamp 20 Sublimation means 21 Electromagnetic radiation heating lamp 211 UV heating lamp 22 Thermally conductive heating element 30 Coating material removal means 31 Coating material removal suction machine 40 Inkjet digital printing means 41 Inkjet printing head 50 Sublimation material cleaning means 51 Scraping blade 52 Sublimation Material recovery tray 60 Base material conveyance means 61 First guide roller for belt conveyor 62 Second guide roller for conveyor belt 63 Conveyor belt for base material 64 Rotation actuator of guide roller for belt conveyor 70 Liquid coating application means 71 Application roller 71' of the liquid coating Opposite roller 72 of the application roller Addition roller 80 of the liquid coating Sublimation gas removal means 81 Sublimation gas removal hood 90 Receiving strip 91 of the sublimation material Guide roller 91' of the receiving strip of the sublimation material Receiving Counter roller of the guide roller of the strip 92 Rotation actuator of the guide roller of the receiving strip of sublimation material 93 Supply coil of the receiving strip of sublimated material 94 Collection coil of the receiving strip of sublimated material 95 Vertical movement actuator of the guide roller 221 Thermally conductive heating roller 221 ' Opposing roller of the heating roller 222 Heat conduction heating plate 222' Opposing roller of the heat conduction heating plate 223 Rotation actuator of the heating roller 224 Vertical movement actuator of the heating roller 225 Vertical movement actuator of the heating plate

Claims (31)

applying the coating (2) and the relief-generating material (3) to the substrate (1) in contact with each other;
subliming the relief-generating material (3), leaving cavities in the coating (2) in contact with the coating (2) and corresponding to the areas previously occupied by the relief-generating material (3); A method for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1), wherein said cavity defines a relief. A method for producing relief on a substrate (1) surface according to claim 1, wherein the coating (2) is applied to the relief-producing material (3). A method for producing a relief on a substrate (1) surface according to claim 1, wherein the relief-producing material (3) is applied to the coating (2). 4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, comprising, after subliming the relief-generating material, removing residues of the coating and/or the relief-generating material affected by the sublimation of the relief-generating material. A method for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1). A method for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the relief-generating material (3) is applied by digital inkjet printing. Method for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the relief-generating material (3) is applied in accordance with the image on the substrate (1). . A method for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the relief-producing material (3) is transparent. The coating (2) and/or the relief-generating material (3) is applied to the substrate (1) in liquid form, wherein the coating (2) and/or the relief-producing material (3) are applied to the substrate (1) in liquid form. A method for generating. Substrate (1) according to claim 8, wherein the coating (2) and the relief-producing material (3) are in contact with each other when the coating (2) is liquid or partially solidified. ) A method for producing relief on surfaces. A method for producing relief on a substrate (1) surface according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the coating (2) and/or the relief-producing material (3) are solidified. 11. On the surface of the substrate (1) according to claim 10, before sublimating the relief-generating material (3), the coating (2) and/or the relief-generating material (3) are at least partially solidified. Method for making reliefs. Substrate (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the hardening of the coating (2) and/or the relief-producing material (3) is carried out by curing, preferably by curing with electromagnetic radiation, preferably with UV. ) A method for producing relief on surfaces. A method for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the coating (2) finishes setting after the relief-producing material (3). For producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the relief-producing material and the coating are repeatedly applied to obtain multiple layers of the coating and the relief-producing material. the method of. 15. Sublimation of the relief-generating material (3) is carried out by heating, in particular by an electromagnetic radiation source, more in particular by IR, by a thermal convection element, more in particular by hot air or by a thermally conductive heating element. A method for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any one of the claims. 16. A method for producing relief on a substrate (1) surface according to any of claims 1 to 15, wherein the relief-producing material (3) is applied by using a sublimation ink. For producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the relief-generating material (3) and/or the sublimation ink are miscible with the coating (2). Method. 18. A method for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the sublimation ink is a dispersion and the dispersed part comprises the relief-producing material (3). A method for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 1 to 18, wherein the relief-producing material comprises sublimable solid particles. 20. Method for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to claim 19, wherein the sublimable solid particles have a size (D50) of less than 2000 Å, preferably less than 100 Å, in particular less than 10 Å. 21. According to any of claims 16 to 20, the relief-generating material (3), when applied, has a concentration of sublimation ink of less than 10% by weight, preferably less than 1% by weight, in particular less than 0.1% by weight. A method for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1). Said sublimation ink absorbs enough energy of electromagnetic radiation, in particular electromagnetic radiation, applied at a defined wavelength to harden said coating (2) and/or said relief-generating material (3). 22. A method for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 16 to 21, comprising an electromagnetic radiation absorber configured to convert into heat. 23. On the surface of the substrate (1) according to claim 22, the electromagnetic radiation absorber is for UV use and is especially selected from the group consisting of benzophenones, benzotriazoles, triazines, oxanilides and cyanoacrylates. A method for producing relief. 24. The sublimation ink is applied to the surface of a substrate (1) according to any of claims 16 to 23, wherein the sublimation ink comprises an exothermic chemical reaction promoter configured to react with the coating (2) by emitting heat. A method for producing relief. 27. The sublimation ink comprises an odorant configured to impart an odor to the coating (2) when activated by heating. A method for producing relief. A system for producing relief on the surface of a substrate (1), the system comprising:
means (70) for applying a coating to said substrate (1);
means (40) for applying a relief-generating material (3);
means (20) for sublimating said relief-generating material (3);
means for controlling the means for applying the coating (2), the means for applying the relief-producing material (3), and the means for sublimating the relief-producing material (3);
26. A system for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1), said system comprising: said system being configured to carry out the method according to any of claims 1 to 25. The means (20) for sublimating said relief-generating material (3) include at least one electromagnetic radiation heating lamp (21), in particular an IR heating lamp, at least one convection heating element, in particular a hot air blower, and/or at least one heat System for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to claim 26, comprising a conductive heating element (22), in particular a roller (221) or a plate (222). a receiving strip (90) of sublimation material facing said coating (2), whereby said coating affected by sublimation of said relief-generating material (3) when said relief-generating material (3) is sublimed; producing a relief on the surface of the substrate (1) according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the sublimated material and/or the residue of the relief-producing material (3) formed by is applied to the receiving strip surface. system for. means (50) for cleaning the surface of said thermally conductive heating element (22) or the surface of said receiving strip (90) to which sublimation material is applied, in particular comprising a scraping blade (51) for scraping said surface or said strip; System for producing reliefs on the surface of a substrate (1) according to claim 27 or 28. means for removing from the coating (2) sublimated material formed by the coating affected by sublimation of the relief-generating material (3) and/or for removing residues of the relief-generating material (3); Substrate according to any of claims 27 to 29, comprising means (30), in particular in the form of at least one brush, at least one suction device (31) and/or at least one blower. (1) A system for producing relief on a surface. Means (80) for extracting gas from the sublimation of said relief-producing material (3), said means (80) in particular in the form of a gas extraction hood (81), and/or said coating (2) and/or said relief-producing material from claim 26, comprising solidifying means (10) for at least partially solidifying (3) and/or substrate transport means (60) for transporting said substrate (1) during carrying out said method. 31. A system for producing a relief on the surface of a substrate (1) according to any one of claims 30 to 31.

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